Barbed metal band and method of forming same



June 14, 1960 c. M. M ccHEsNEY ETA!- 2,940,732

BARBED METAL BAND AND METHOD OF FORMING SAME Filed Dec. 7, 1955 2Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TORS @MMMVM Qizk a Filed Dec. 7, 1955 June 14,1960 c. M. M CHESNEY ET ,940,732

BARBED METAL BAND AND METHOD 01-" FORMING SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M N 1 tN 1 gfi O O i O O i i N INVENTORS.

o O c i v0 6 0 BY CZllenfiZl/zlsqm 2 m w a mgza I ag Unite Statesanimate Patented dune 14, 1950 inc BARBED lVlETAL BAND AND IVIETHOD OFFORMlNG SAME Chester M. MaeChesney and Allen B. Wilson, Chicago, 111.,assignors to Acme Steel Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation ofIllinois Filed Dec. 7, 1955, Ser. No. 551,684

3 Claims. (31. 256-8) This invention relates to improvements in barbedmetal bands and methods of forming the same and its purpose is toprovide a novel metal band having outwardly projecting spikes or barbsand adapted to be produced efliciently and at relatively small cost foruse in forming barricades or barbed entanglements employed in militaryoperations and in forming fences and other structures.

According to the prior practice in military operations barbedentanglements or barricades have been formed mainly of ordinary wovenwire made up of two metal wires twisted together longitudinally inhelical fashion and having interlocked therewith at intervals barbsformed by curled sections of wire having projecting sharp ends. Suchbarbed wire has also been extensively employed in building fencing toconfine cattle and other animals and for other similar uses. While suchbarbed wire is satisfactory in many respects it is somewhat difiicult tohandle and has the disadvantage that it must be manufactured at alocation far removed from the place of use.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel formof barbed band produced by slitting the edge portions of a flat metalstrip and bending these portions transversely to form projecting barbsor spikes. A further object of the invention is to provide an improvedbarbed metal band comprising a flat flexible metal strip having spikesprojecting in varying directions from its opposite edges. Still anotherobject of the invention is to provide a novel method of forming a barbedmetal band comprising the steps of slitting the edges of a metal stripat spaced intervals along its edges and at acute angles to said edges toform inclined pointed portions and then bending said portions outwardlyto provide projecting spikes. Other objects relate to various featuresof construction and arrangement and to various details of the method,all of which will appear more fully hereinafter;

The nature of the invention will be understood from the followingspecification taken with the accompanying drawings in which oneembodiment of the improved barbed metal band and one example of themethod of forming it are illustrated. In the drawings,

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the improved barbed metal band of thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 shows an end elevation of the barbed metal band shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a plan view of a flat metal strip which is slitteddiagonally along its edges to form pointed portions which aresubsequently bent outwardly to form barbs or spikes such as thoseillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged transverse section through a portion of thecompleted barbed metal band shown in Fig. 1, illustrating in elevation aportion of the barb bending apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 4, showing a section throughthe band taken at a diiferent place, spaced from. that shown in Fig. 4and illustrating a barb projecting from the body of the strip at anotherangle;

Fig. 6 shows a vertical section through one form of apparatus which maybe employed in forming the barbed metal band illustrated in Figs. 1 and2; 1

Fig. 7 shows a vertical section taken on the line 7 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 shows an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the formingapparatus illustrating the operation of parts thereof in bending aslitted portion of a metal strip.

The completed barbed metal band of the present invention is illustratedin Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings where it is shown as comprising a flatmetal band 10 provided along its center line with a series of spacedindex holes 1 3a, which are adapted to position the band in the machineby which it is formed, and having along its edges two series ofradiating spikes which are similarly constructed and similarly locatedat each edge of the band. These radiating spikes or barbs at each edgeof the band include barbs 10b which are arranged at relatively smallangles to the plane of the band and which diverge in opposite directionsfrom that plane. Each series of barbs also includes two barbs whichdiverge in opposite directions from the plane of the band 10 atsubstantially greater angles, as shown in Fig. 2. The

barbs are spaced apart longitudinally of the band and each pair of barbs10b which are directed in opposite directions from the plane of the bandare preferably located adjacent each other and between two pairs ofbarbs 100 which diverge from the plane of the band at greater angles.There is thus formed a fiat metal band 10 having two series of divergentspikes or barbs located along its opposite edges and arranged in thesame manner at each edge. Due to the distribution of the barbssubstantially around all parts of the band 10, this barbed etal band iswell adapted for use in military operationswhere it is desired toprovide a barricade to prevent the passage of troops and thisconstruction is also well suited for the construction of fences and thelike where it is desired to prevent the passage of cattle or otheranimals with a minimum use of fencing material.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings there is illustrated the flat metal strip 10dfrom which the finished product shown in Fig. l is formed. This fiatmetal strip is run endwise through a punch press or through suitableslitting rolls to form along the center of the strip a series of equallyspaced index holes ltla and also to slit the strip along diagonal linesat its opposite edges to form the cuts 10.2 and 1%) which are located atacute angles with respect to the edges of the metal strip, thus formingalong both edges of this strip a series of attached sharp portions 19gwhich are adapted to be bent from the plane of the strip to produce hebarbed band which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the sharp portions 10gbecoming the barbs Ebb and which have previously been described. Themetal strip 19d may be a comparatively thin steel strip, having athickness, for example, of about thirty-five thousandths of an inch(0.035), and it should be quite flexible so that the finished band maybe readily manipulated when it is put into use.

Although the barbed metal band of the present invention might be formedin various Ways, there has been illustrated in the drawings one form ofapparatus which is particularly adapted for carrying out at anyconvenient time and place the steps which are performed subsequent tothe slitting of the metal strip as shown in Fig. 3, for the purpose ofbending the sharp portions 16g transversely to the plane of the strip.This appa ratus is shown in Figs. 4 to 8 inclusive, and is described andclaimed in the copending application of George Rassmussen, Serial No.551,674, filed concurrently here with. This band forming machinecomprises a base 12 on which are mounted two upstanding parallel framemembers 13in which are journalled two shafts 14 and 15. These shafts arejournalled in bushings 16 mounted in the frame members and they extendparallel to each other in horizontal planes. The shafts have projectingportions 14a and a extending beyond one of the frame members 13andhaving secured thereon two gears 17 which mesh with each other sothat the shafts rotate in unison. Although the shafts 14 and 15 may bemanually operated, one of them is preferably connected by apparatus (notshown) to power actuated driving ,mechanism so that the machine may becontinuously operated when it is in use. a 7

The'shafts 14 and 15 have enlarged central portions 14b and 15b locatedbetween the bushings 16 and journalled in surrounding cylinders or drums18, two of which are provided for each shaft. These drums are secured tothe frames 13 by studs 19, the heads of which are located in recessesformed in the inner faces of the drums as shown in Fig. 7. Each-shaft isthus journalled in its ownbushing 16 and also in its associated drums orcylinders 18. V

The inner faces of the two drums 18 of each shaft are -spaced apart andin these spaces there are'mounted two disks 20 and 21 which are fixedupon'the shafts 14 and 15, respectively, and which are adapted to rotatein the direction indicated by the arrows 22 shown in Fig. 6. The upperdisk 20 is provided on its peripheral surface with a plurality ofradially projecting pins 20a which are adapted to engage the index holes10a in the metal strip when this strip is passed between the two disksin the direction indicated by the arrow 23 in Fig. 6. The.

pins 20a, after passing through the index holes 10a are adapted to bereceived by recesses 21a formed in the lower disk 121. Of course, thisregistration of the pins 20a and recesses '21a'with respect to the holes10a in the metal strip occurs only when these parts are at, or inproximity to, a'vertical plane containing the axes of the/shafts 14 and15. By this registering means, the metal strip 10d being operated uponand its sharp portions 10g are located always in proper relationshiptothe parts carried by the disks 20 and 21 which operate upon the sharpprojections 10g to bend them transversely to the strip.

The upper disk 20 has fixed thereon and projecting laterally therefromin opposite directions two series of equally spaced fixed dies 20b andeach disk 20 also has pivotally mounted thereon, and on each sidethereof, an; annular series of '-relatively movable die members 200which are pivotally mounted on the disk by means of pins 24 and spaced.equal distances apart. Each pivotally mounted die member 200 has a bodyportion 20d which has an inner curved surface adapted to rest normallyupon the outer cylindrical surface of one of the drums 18 and each diemember 200 also has a radially extending part 20e adapted to cooperatewith the fixed die members carried by the disk 21. In effecting thebending of the sharp edge portions 10g of the metal strip, the portions20d of the die members 20c trail behind the pivot pins 24 as the disk isrotated.

' Similarly,,the other 'disk 21 is provided with two series ofrelatively fixed dies 21b which are spaced apart equal distancesaroundthe periphery of the disk and which project laterally from both edges ofthe disk for cooperation with the movable die members 20c which aremounted upon the other disk 20. The disk 21 also has mounted thereon twoseries of pivoted die members 21c which are pivoted on the disk'by meansof pins 25. These die members 210 are similar to the die members 200,each comprising a body portion 21d having an inner curved surfaceadapted to coact with the peripheral surface of a drum 18 and havingalso an outwardly extending portion .21e adapted to cooperate with thestationary die members 200 of the other disk in effecting the sharpenedportions 10g which have been formed along the edge of the metal strip.

a In the operation of the machine, the metal strip 10d, whichjhasgbeenslitted along the lines 102 and 10f, is

. of the laterally extending projections 10h.

moved through the disks 20 and 21 in the direction of the arrow 23,being moved by the engagement of the pins 20a of the disk 20 with theholes 10a in the strip and by the engagement therewith of the diemembers which are then operating to bend the portions 10g of the strip.Assuming that one of the sharp slitted portions 10g is approaching theadjacent parts of the disks 20 and 21, and assumingthat this part 10g isin position to be engaged by adie'member 200 on the upper side of thestrip, as viewed in Figs. 6 and 8, the portion 20c of the pivoteddie'member 20c engages the upper side of the metal strip and bends itdownwardly and out- Wardly against the adjacent die 21b which is carriedby the disk 21, as shown particularly in Fig. 8. The die member 21b hasa facezlf, extending in a general radial direction in relation to theaxis of the disk 21, against which portion 10g of the metal strip isbent at substantially a right angle with respect to the plane of thelaterally extending planar projection 10h of the strip, as best seen inFig. 8. At, the same time, the laterally extending projection 10h on theedgeportion of the strip 10d at and adjacent to the base of the portion10g coacts with an inclined surface 21g of the die 21b, as shown inFig.8, with the result that the projection 10]: of the strip is bentupwardly as shown inFigs. 4, 5 and 8. This upward bending of the planarprojection 10h along the edge portion of the strip determines thedirection in which the part 10g extends to form one of the barbs 10b or100. Some of the die surfaces 21g are inclined in such a direction thatthey cause the laterally extending projections 10h to be bent to causethe barbs to be directed in the manner of therbarbs 10b, as shown inFig. 2, and other die surfaces 21g are inclined so as to cause theprojections 10h to be bent to cause the barbs to be directed in themanner of the barbs 10c. The inclined faces 21g of the dies 21b areshown in Figs. 4 and Sand their difierent inclinations result in thedifferent angles of the resulting barbs due to the different bending Itwill thus be understood from the foregoing description, and particularlyfrom Figs. 1,4, 5 and 8 of the drawings that the finished strip, as itleaves the machine, is a singlepiece barbed metal band comprising ,alongitudinally extending flat metal strip 10 having along its oppositeedge portions a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart laterallyextending planar projections 1011. which are bent out of the plane ofthe strip at difierent predetermined angles, In each case the plane ofthe projection 10h is substantially parallel to the longitudinalv axisof the strip 10 but intersects the plane of the strip at an obtuseangle. A barb 10b or 100 is integrally formed on one'end 'of eachprojection 10]: and extends therefrom in a planethatis substantiallynormal to both the plane of that projection 10h and the longitudinalaxis of the strip. Stated in a different manner, the barbs 10b or 10cextend from their respective projections 10h and are joined theretoalong lines substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the stripbut lying at an obtuse angle with respect to the plane of the strip.These obtuse angles-that is, the angles at whichthe planes of theprojections, 10h intersect the plane of the stripare different fordifferent ones of the projections 10h so that the barbs radiate in aplurality of different directions with respect to the plane of thestrip.

The end faces 21 and the inclined faces 21g of the dies 21b are arrangeddifferently on alternate die members and the die members 20b carried bythe disk 20 are similarly formed to cooperate with the pivoted diemembers 210 on the disk-21. The slits 10a and 10 in the metal strip 10dare staggered with respect to each other. on opposite sides of the stripand the arrangement of the dies 20b, 20c, 21b and 21c on thedisk is suchthat the portions 10g ofthe strip on opposite sides of the strip will beengaged and bent alternately in succession as the strip moves betweenthe disks, with the result that the slitted portions g are rapidly bentfrom the plane of the strip to the various positions which are shown inFigs. 1 and 2, thereby resulting in the rapid production of a flexiblebarbed band capable of the uses which have been referred to above.

In the operation of the machine, the pivoted die members 200 and 21cnormally Contact the cylindrical surfaces of the associated drums 18and, in order to prevent the parts 202 and Zle of the pivoted diemembers from catching on the relatively fixed die members 210 and 20c,respectively when a pivoted die member and a fixed die member are movingaway from the zone where the bending operation takes place, the drums 18are provided with recesses 18a, extending through considerable distanceson both sides of the vertical plane passing through the axes of theshafts 14 and 35, so that the tail portion of a pivoted die member 28:or 21c is permitted to move into the adjacent recess to allow thepivoted dog to tilt so that the arm we or 212 thereof will pass by theadjacent relatively fixed die 21:) or 281;.

Although one form of the invention has been shown and described by wayof illustration, it will be understood that it may be constructed invarious Ways which come Within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A single-piece barbed metal band comprising a longitudinallyextending metal strip having along its opposite edge portions aplurality of longitudinally spaced apart planar lateral projectionsextending at obtuse angles with respect to the plane of said strip, anda pointed barb extending from each of said lateral projections in adirection normal to the plane of the projection and joining theprojection along a line substantially normal to the longitudinal axis ofthe strip, said obtuse angles being different for difierent ones of saidprojections so that said barbs radiate in a plurality of different directions with respect to the plane of said strip.

2. A single piece barbed metal band comprising a longitudinallyextending metal strip having along its opposite edge portions aplurality of laterally extending planar projections, each projectionresiding in a plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe strip but intersecting the plane of the strip at an angle, and abarb on an end of each projection and extending therefrom in a planesubstantially normal to both the plane of that projection and thelongitudinal axis 'of said strip.

3. A single-piece barbed metal band comprising a longitudinallyextending metal strip having along its opposite edge portions aplurality of laterally extending planar projections, each projectionresiding in a plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe strip but intersecting the plane of the strip at an angle, and

barb on an end of each projection and extending therefrom in a planesubstantially normal to both the plane of that projection and thelongitudinal axis of said strip, the angles between the planes of saidprojections and the plane of said strip being difierent for diflierentones of said projections so that said barbs radiate in a plurality ofdifierent directions with respect to the plane of said strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS118,135 Judson Aug. 15, 1871 368,014 Schmidt Aug. 9, 1887 386,742Grellner July 24, 1888 642,109 Green Ian. 30, 1900 1,454,584 Gosser May8, 1923 1,654,837 Schmid Jan. 3, 1928 2,392,223 Brickman Jan. 1, 1946FOREIGN PATENTS 72,789 Switzerland Nov. 1, 1916

